George Townsend
Rev. George Townsend (1788 - 23 November 1857) was an English poet, prose author, and cleric. Life Townsend was born at Ramsgate, Kent, in 1788, the son of George Townsend, independent minister in that town, a man of some note and the author of numerous published sermons. He was educated at Ramsgate, and attracted the attention of Richard Cumberland the dramatist, by whose aid he was able to proceed to Trinity College, Cambridge, where he earned a B.A. in 1812 and an M.A. in 1816.Carlyle, 104. He was ordained deacon in 1813 and priest in the year following, and in 1813 became curate of Littleport, Cambridgeshire, from which he moved to Hackney as curate to John James Watson, archdeacon of Colchester. In 1816 he was appointed professor at Sandhurst, and at the same time undertook the curacy of Farnborough, Hampshire. In 1821 appeared the first part of his great work, The Old Testament Arranged in Historical and Chronological order, London, 8vo; 5th edition, 1860. This work obtained the notice of several eminent men including Shute Barrington, bishop of Durham, who appointed him his domestic chaplain in 1822. In this position he had sufficient leisure to bring out the second part of his work, The New Testament Arranged in Historical and Chronological Order, London, 1826, 8vo; 5th edit. 1860. At that period the question of Catholic emancipation produced much polemical literature, and, at the request of Barrington, Townsend in 1825 contributed to the controversy The Accusations of History against the Church of Rome, 8vo; new edition 1845, 18mo. The work was intended as a reply to Charles Butler's Historical Memoirs of the English, Scottish, and Irish Catholics since the Reformation, 1822, and Townsend on 25 August 1825 received in reward the tenth prebendal stall in the see of Durham, which he retained until his death. He also obtained, on 26 April 1826, the chapter living of Northallerton, which he exchanged on 22 February 1839 for the perpetual curacy of St. Margaret, Durham. He edited in 1828 the Theological Works of John Shute Barrington, first Viscount Barrington.Carlyle, 105. In 1836 he compiled a Life and Vindication of John Foxe, the martyrologist, which was prefixed to the first volume of the edition of his Acts and Monuments, edited by S.R. Cattley (8 volumes, 1837-1841). In 1850 he undertook a journey to Italy with the intention of converting Pio Nono, an enterprise for which his ironical Life and Defence of the Principles of Bishop Bonner (London, 1842, 8vo) was hardly likely to smooth the way. On his return he published an account of his journey, under the title Journal of a Tour in Italy in 1850: With an account of an interview with the Pope in the Vatican, London, 1850, 8vo. He died at the college, Durham, on 23 Nov. 1857. He was twice married, and by his first wife left a son, George Fyler Townsend, who was afterwards perpetual curate of St. Michael's, Burleigh Street, Westminster. Writing In 1811 appeared his first published work, a reply to Sir William Drummond (1770?–1828), who in Œdipus Judaicus alleged that the greater part of the Old Testament was a solar allegory, and that the 12 patriarchs symbolised the signs of the zodiac. Townsend rejoined with Œdipus Romanus, in which by similar reasoning he showed that the signs of the zodiac were represented by the 12 Cæsars. Besides the works mentioned, Townsend was the author of: 1. ‘Poems,’ London, 1810, 8vo. 2. ‘Armageddon, a Poem,’ London, 1816, 4to. 3. ‘Thirty Sermons on some of the most interesting Subjects in Theology,’ London, 1830, 8vo. 4. ‘Plan for abolishing Pluralities and Non-residence,’ London, 1833, 8vo. 5. ‘Spiritual Communion with God; or the Pentateuch and the Book of Job arranged,’ 2 vols. London, 1845–9, 8vo. 6. ‘Historical Researches: Ecclesiastical and Civil History from the Ascension of our Lord to the Death of Wycliffe, philosophically considered with reference to a future Reunion of Christians,’ London, 1847, 8vo. 7. ‘Twenty-seven Sermons on Miscellaneous Subjects,’ London, 1849, 8vo. Townsend also wrote a series of sonnets to accompany Thomas Stothard's illustrations of the Pilgrim's Progress. Publications Poetry *''Poems''. London: A.J. Valpy, for Deighton, Cambridge / Longman, Hurst, Rees, & Orme, London, 1810. *''Armageddon: A poem, in twelve books''. London: A.J. Valpy, for J. Hatchard, 1815. *Sonnets in Thomas Stothard, Illustrations of the Pilgrim's Progress. London: Seeley, 1840.Search results = Stothard Pilgrim's Progress, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, Dec. 22, 2016. *''Flowers from the Garden of the Church; or, The collects of the Church of England versified''. Oxford, UK, & London: John Henry Parker / Durham, UK: George Andrews, 1854. Non-fiction *''The Oedipus Romanus; or, An attempt to prove, from the principles of reasoning adopted by the Rt. Hon. Sir William Drummond, in his Oedipus Judaicus, that the twelve Caesars are the signs of the zodiac''. London: A.J. Valpy, for Hatchard, 1819. *''The Accusations of History against the Church of Rome''. London: J. Murray / C. & J. Rivington, 1825. *''Supplementary Letter to Charles Butler, Esq.: In reply to his Vindication of the book of the Roman Catholic Church''. London: J. Murray / C. & J. Rivington, 1826. *''Review of a pamphlet entitled "Declaration of the Catholic bishops, the vicars apostolic, and their coadjutors in Great Britain."'' London: C. & J. Rivington / J. Murray / Durham, UK: G. Andrews / F. Humble, 1827. *''Obedience to the Laws of the Church of Rome Incompatible with the Power of Legislating for Protestants''. London: C.J.G. & F. Rivington, 1829. *''Sermons on some of the most interesting subjects in theology''. London: Gilbert & Rivington, for C.J.G. & F. Rivington, 1830. *''A Plan, for Abolishing Pluralities and Mon-residence, in the Church of England''. London: C.J. & F. Rivington, 1833. *''Infidelity: Not an involuntary error, but a wilful sin: A sermon''. Dublin: privately purblished, printed by Francis Humble, 1836. *''The Doctrine of the Atonement to be Taught without Reserve''. London, L. & G. Seeley 1838. *''The Uniform Effects of Christianity: A funeral sermon''. 1838. x *''The Church of England the Best Accomplisher of the Objects of the Miraculous Gifts: A sermon''. London: I. & G. Seeley / Birmingham, UK: Langbridge / Durham, UK: Andrews, 1839. *''The Trust Committed to the Clergy; or, The Church of England the preserver of truth, against the Romanist, Infidel, and Sectarian: A sermon''. London : L. & G. Seeley / J. Cochrane / Durham, UK: Andrews, 1839. *''Remarks on the Errors of Mr. Maitland: In his notes on the contributions of the Rev. Geo. Townsend to the new edition of Foxe's Martyrology''. London: J.G.F. & J. Rivington, 1842. *''The Life and Defence of ... Edmund Bonner, Bishop of London''. London, Seeley & Burnside, 1842. *''The Substance of Two Speeches Delivered at Durham, Feb. 20, 1844''. London: printed by Bradbury & Evans, 1844. Sermon preached on Sunday, July 13, 1845. 1845. *''Ecclesiastical and Civil History: From the ascension of our Lord to the death of Wycliffe; philosophically considered''. *''Journal of a Tour in Italy in 1850; with An account of an interview with the Pope at the Vatican''. London: Francis & John Rivington, 1850. Edited *''The Old Testament: Arranged in historical and chronological order''. (2 volumes), London: F.C. & J. Rivington, 1821. *''The New Testament: Arranged in historical and chronological order. (2 volumes), London: C. & J. Rivington, 1825; Boston: Perkins & Marvin, 12837. *J. Foxe, ''Acts and Monuments. London: R.B. Seeley and W. Burnside, 1837. Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.Search results = au:George Townsend, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, Dec. 22, 2016. See also *List of British poets References * . Wikisource, Web, Dec. 21, 2016. Notes External links ;Poems *"Elegy, supposed to be written in Barnet Church-Yard" ;About *Rev. George Townsend(1788-1857) at English Poetry, 1579-1830 * Townsend, George (1788-1857)